“In this world you will encounter difficulty . . .” (John 16:33b).
You can’t avoid pain in this life. But hope can keep it from controlling how you live.
Hope isn’t a naïve wish for better circumstances. Hope is your confident awareness of God’s unceasing grace, wisdom, and resources to deal with them.
Hope isn’t a religious fantasy, reserved for those who haven’t gone through the kind of painful realities you have. Hope is your emotional foundation, grown larger and stronger through every difficulty.
Hope is your constant companion, speaking life to your spirit when the world is trying to kill your soul. Hope transforms difficult memories from being taskmasters to teachers. Hope is sourced in God’s love so deeply, nothing can frustrate who he wants to be in your life, or who you’re becoming in him.
Make room in your heart and mind for hope. Thank Jesus for all he is, and for every good thing in your life, until hope becomes a far greater reality than every disappointment, discouragement, and darkness.
“. . . But take heart, because I’ve already overcome the world” (John 16:33c).
Equip Your Spirit 